Lenore, Symphonic Poem (Burger's Ballade) Cover Image

Lenore, Symphonic Poem (Burger's Ballade): Full Orchestra, Conductor Score

$35.00 USD
$35.00 USD
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Lenore, Symphonic Poem (Burger's Ballade) Cover Image
Lenore, Symphonic Poem (Burger's Ballade): Full Orchestra, Conductor Score

Lenore, Symphonic Poem (Burger's Ballade): Full Orchestra, Conductor Score

By Henri Duparc

Item: 36-A575901
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Lenore, Symphonic Poem (Burger's Ballade): Full Orchestra, Conductor Score & Parts

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Description
LÉNORE, SYMPHONIC POEM (BURGER'S BALLADE) is a work for orchestra by French composer Henri Duparc (1848-1933). He probably began work on the piece in 1869, which he based on the 1774 gothic ballad of the same name by Gottfried August Bürger. The poem tells of a deceased knight named Wilhelm, returned from war, who takes his fiancé Lénore on a ghostly ride toward death. Édouard Colonne conducted the premiere at the Société Nationale on May 15, 1875. Following the second performance, the composer decided to revise it. He wrote later that he had cut two passages which, in his view, "gave the audience an upset stomach," and in the end, distanced himself from the work. Instrumentation: 2+Picc.2.2.4(4th opt): 4.2.3.1: Timp.Perc(3): Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set).

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Additional Details
Series: Kalmus Orchestra Library
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
ISBN10: 8-89-810040-X
ISBN13: 979-889-810-0407
UPC: 605258717290
SKU: 36-A575901
Instrumentation: 2+Picc.2.2.4(4th opt): 4.2.3.1: Timp.Perc(3): Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set)

More about this title

About the Composer: Henri Duparc

Henri Duparc (1848-1933) stands as one of the most selective composers in the French repertoire, leaving behind a catalog of fewer than 40 works despite a long life. A student of César Franck and Édouard Lalo, he was deeply invested in the artistic circles of Paris during the late 19th century, yet he destroyed or abandoned many compositions, including large-scale orchestral works. His perfectionism and self-doubt shaped his legacy as a composer who valued quality over prolific output, and whose orchestral writing reflects the refined harmonic language and poetic sensibility of the French Romantic tradition.

Duparc's output in the symphonic poem genre remains limited, and Lénore represents an important window into his approach to orchestral narrative. The work's troubled history—revised after its premiere and later distanced from by the composer himself—reveals his exacting standards. Conductors and orchestras drawn to the Late Romantic French orchestral tradition will recognize in Duparc's instrumentation and harmonic palette the influence of Liszt and the growing sophistication of French symphonic thought during the 1870s.

Why we love this

Duparc's orchestration crackles with dramatic intensity and refined color; the piece demands and rewards careful attention to balance and phrasing in a way that deepens an orchestra's musicianship. Programming a work with a genuine narrative arc from the Late Romantic period sends a powerful message about artistic courage and emotional depth in your season.

What to expect

The music evokes a dark Gothic narrative: galloping horses, supernatural dread, and the blurring of boundaries between the living and the dead. Lush and turbulent by turns, Duparc's orchestration creates an atmosphere of urgent movement tinged with fin-de-siècle melancholy and harmonic ambiguity.

Who it's for

Orchestras with solid technical command and ensemble maturity will engage most fully with this work's harmonic language and dramatic pacing. Conductors seeking substantial French Romantic repertoire beyond the usual Berlioz and Saint-Saëns will find a rewarding exploration of Late 19th-century orchestral storytelling.

How to get the most out of it

  • Shape the opening atmosphere with careful dynamics and sectional independence in the strings; the gothic mood depends on restraint before the ride begins.
  • Rehearse the principal trumpet, horn, and woodwind solo passages early to ensure each voice sits cleanly within the orchestral texture during faster sections.
  • Mark structural transitions clearly in parts so the orchestra understands where the narrative shifts between dialogue, action, and the supernatural elements.
  • Balance the lower brass and tympani judiciously during climactic passages; Duparc's scoring can quickly become heavy without precise control of weight and resonance.

How to use it

Pair this with other French symphonic poems or dramatic orchestral works from the 1870s-1890s to create a concert exploring narrative and program music. Its length and orchestration make it an excellent centerpiece for a concert featuring Romantic European orchestral repertoire that sits outside the mainstream.

Skills your students will build

  • Balancing complex orchestral textures with changing dynamic profiles
  • Reading and executing harmonic language characteristic of late 19th-century France
  • Responding to an unfamiliar score and maintaining ensemble cohesion through rapid dramatic shifts
  • Understanding the relationship between literary source material and orchestral storytelling

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